Vicecaptain?
by Waking Hyde
Summary: The Hyoutei regulars ponders. Who is their vice-captain, really? Beware of Gakuto and Jiroh and one pissed Shishido.


**A/N: **As always, I suck at titling my works. Lulz, this idea just popped into my head, and I thought 'Okay, let's make it a drabble'. Then it turned into a more one-shot'ish thing. Anyways, I don't really know where it came from. I think it was because of Hiyoshi and all of his "next-year-captain-ness". It occured to me that I didn't know who Hyoutei's vice-captain was. I assumed it was Oshitari, but I wanted it to be Shishido... x) Though that would have failed, considering the fact that he was dropped from the regulars and stuff.

Oh, and the fact that I call some regulars by their given names and some by their family names, is due to what comes naturally to me. For example, I could never call Jiroh for Akutagawa in a fic, but at the same time, I would not even dare to go Wakashi on Hiyoshi. Also, Choutarou (whom I call Ohtori in this fic) is the only one who uses honorifics, and that is quite deliberate.

**Disclaimer: **Prince of Tennis and everything from it does not belong to me, or else there there would be a lot more gay-ness, Hyoutei-ness, and gay Hyoutei-ness on top of it.

**Warning(s): **Slight swearing from Shishido's part, but it is very mild. Possible OOCness as well, though I hope not.

* * *

**Vice-captain?**

"Ne, ne, Yuushi, who's our vice-captain? Really?" Gakuto suddenly exclaimed, draping himself over the shoulder of said boy. Oshitari just frowned and pushed his glasses further up his nose.

The rest of the locker room, consisting of the Hyoutei team with the exception of Atobe, looked up in curiousity.

"We don't have a vice-captain," Oshitari finally replied, earning a surprised sound from his doubles partner.

"Really?"

"Really."

"What?" Jiroh suddenly spoke up, slowly waking up and rubbing his eyes. "We don't have a vice-captain?"

"According to Oshitari-san we don't," Ohtori said from his position next to Shishido. "But I always thought he was the vice-captain."

Oshitari flinched slightly, though unnoticeably to any other than the redhead currently stuck to his shoulder.

"But what kind of team doesn't have a vice-captain?" Jiroh pressed, sitting up with a yawn.

"Hyoutei," Shishido replied in his usual slightly annoyed tone. "Apparently, Atobe is too almighty to need a vice-captain."

"It is as you say, Shishido," Oshitari said. "We don't _need _a vice-captain, thus we don't have any. We have the best captain around, and a vice-captain would only be a waste of focus."

"But, but," Jiroh said again. "What if Atobe is sick someday? Or injured? Or away? Or in the BATHROOM?!" Shishido just rolled his eyes and proceeded to take of his jersey.

"We all know Atobe won't give up on us that easily," Hiyoshi murmured from a corner. "Or what, Kabaji?"

"Usu."

"What about you, Hiyoshi?" Jiroh continued. "Couldn't you have been our vice-captain?" Hiyoshi raised an eyebrow, while Gakuto tried to muffle his laughter in Oshitari's shirt.

"Why would I be?" the sandy blonde retorted.

"Because everyone says you'll be captain next year!"

"That's not the same."

"Oh... But who's the vice-captain then?"

"Jiroh, we don't have a vice-captain!" Oshitari exclaimed, getting slightly annoyed by the situation.

"Are you sure?" the sleepy boy asked hesitantly.

"Positive." Oshitari replied instantly.

"Well, I'm not." Jiroh said. "We _do _have a vice-captain, we just don't know who he is. Or better yet, who _she _is!"

"... Do I have to explain what's wrong in that statement?" Oshitari's eyebrow twitched.

"But Jiroh is right," Gakuto said, earning glances from his teammates. "I'm not sure if we have one, but we _should _at least have a vice-captain. What _if _Atobe one day isn't there for us? Who would lead us then?"

A moment of thought from all the regulars followed.

"What about Shishido?" Gakuto exclaimed eagerly after a few seconds, earning a yelp from the capped boy.

"Me?" he inquired. "What the hell?"

"Well, you're always being bossy and stuff," Gakuto started, one finger at his chin in deep thought, though gaining a glare from Shishido. "And everyone respects you. I think our kouhai's are scared of you as well. The first time Atobe came, you had like a tantrum at the thought of your beloved tennis club in the hands of some spoiled brat. Oh, and you always do something about something if it doesn't please you! You're like a gruff version of Atobe!"

"What the hell did you call me?!"

"He's right, Shishido-senpai," Ohtori smiled, his usual admiration directed towards his best friend shining in his eyes. "You would make a great vice-captain."

"How did that happen," Shishido muttered. "What about Oshitari, though? He's calm. Level-headed. Smart. Whatever. He can probably tell people what to do perfectly fine! And he's the one who's really like a second Atobe! He even has the arrogance and constant _smirk._"

"Still sitting here, Shishido."

"There you're doing it again!"

"I know! How about _Kabaji_!" Jiroh said, pointing at the giant copy-cat. "Ne, Kabaji, if Atobe weren't here, you would lead us, right?"

"Usu."

"You would do everything you could for us, right?"

"Usu."

"You would be a great leader, right?"

"... No."

"Whaaat?" Jiroh's face fell. He was about to start a new round about why not when he was interrupted by Gakuto.

"Ohtori, what about you?" he asked, cocking his head. Ohtori looked surprised at first, but chuckled slightly at his senpai's question.

"I would never make a good vice-captain, Mukahi-san," he said softly. "I'm usually the one being bossed around."

"Damn true," Gakuto agreed, eyeing Shishido with a suspicious glare which the latter didn't seem to catch. "Oh, but now I know the best vice-captain ever! I present to you; ME!"

"And why on earth do you believe _you _would make a great vice-captain?" Shishido argued.

"Because of my stunning awesomeness, of course."

"Or your stunning awkwardness."

"Hey!"

"Why are we even discussing this?" Oshitari interrupted loudly, but in a calm tone. "We have Atobe as our captain, and he will remain the one with the reigns as long as we stay at this school. We have no vice-captain. No matter how much we wish for it, we still would not have had a vice-captain as long as it isn't Atobe's wish."

"Are you not satisfied with Ore-sama's job as a captain, Oshitari?" The voice of Atobe suddenly rang through the locker. Seven pair of eyes turned simultaneously towards the door where they found one _smirking _Atobe Keigo.

"N-no, Atobe, I just - " Oshitari started, trying to put the blame where it belonged - at basically every Hyoutei regular but him. Atobe cut him short.

"Would you so dearly have a vice-captain?" Atobe continued, unfazed by Oshitari's excuse. "Do you not trust Ore-sama to lead you to victory? Would you rather have one of your own higher in the ranks?"

The regulars were silent. Atobe's words sort of made sense, then again, he _was _one of them...

Satisfied with his reactions, Atobe continued with an exasperated sigh.

"Well, as a matter of fact, Ore-sama _does _have a vice-captain," he said, bringing a slender hand to gently brush some silver hair out of his eyes.

The regulars were stunned. They _had _a vice-captain?! In any case, it had to be one of them. Then... One of them was the vice-captain without knowing? Who could it be?

"I suppose now would be a good time revealing to you the identity of Ore-sama's vice-captain," Atobe said slowly, carefully eyeing each of his regulars. "The vice-captain is... Of _course... _Atobe Keigo."

There was a mutual "Heeeeh?!" along with some annoyed swearing from Shishido's side. Only Kabaji looked unfazed.

"How can you be both captain _and _vice-captain?!" Gakuto blurted out, earning an amused look from Atobe.

"Ore-sama is his own vice-captain," Atobe said casually, as if it was the most natural thing in the world. "That way, Ore-sama is assured that the job is done properly, and he would not have to worry."

With those final words, he left the locker, letting the Hyoutei regulars ponder about what the hell it was that ran through Atobe's head.

* * *

So yeah. I'm not quite satisfied with the ending, and I think I made Jiroh a bit to silly. Oh well. *shrugs* Poor Oshitari, I think he got the short end of the stick in this one. For the record, Atobe does _not _have a vice-captain, being one of the few single captains in the series. I just played a bit with it =)

Originally, it was just going to be Gakuto bugging Oshitari about him and his vice-captainness, and then Oshitari would deny it, eventually putting the blame on Shishido, who would not be present. Then Hiyoshi needed to be taken into consideration, and then Kabaji also popped into my head, and Ohtori had to deny it just simply because he had way to few lines, and then Gakuto suddenly wrote himself in as a "awesome vice-captain" though he was the only one I didn't plan out to come... O.o The fic has a life of its own, I swear.

Anyways, please review! =) Reviews are what keep an author going!!


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